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Retro Cartoons
'Retro Cartoons '''was an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by NicThic Productions (formerly NT Animation). It specializes in classic and contemporary animated programming from Viacom and Time Warner, along with repeats of in-production series. In May 2014, it was reported that 58.4 million American households (55.78% of those with television) had received the channel. On January 16, 2015, NicThic announced a new joint venture that would shut down both Animation Antenna and Retro Cartoons and launch Cartoon Antenna later that same year. Retro Cartoons shut down on September 18, 2015, with programs from both it and Animation Antenna (which had shut down two days earlier) moving to Cartoon Antenna when it launched the following day, September 19. History 1996-1998: Origins Much like its competitor, Animation Antenna, Retro Cartoons was summoned in reaction primarily and partly due to the success of Cartoon Network, (which debuted in October 1992, six years before Retro Cartoons launched) and first-run syndication of classic cartoons (such as ''Yogi Bear, Tom & Jerry, Top Cat, and The Jetsons). On September 5, 1996, NT Animation announced the formation of Retro Cartoons. When the network was announced, Retro Cartoons planned to run a predominately network programmed schedule over time. It was originally slated to launch with two days of reruns of classic cartoons in its first year. , the network's mascot from 1998 to 2015.]] 1998-2001: Beginnings Retro Cartoons premiered on February 1, 1998 with the rerun of the Top Cat ''episode "Hawaii, Here We Come" as its first program. Following the episode, it was announced that Top Cat would serve as the network's official mascot and would remain as part of the network's branding in one form or another until 2015. Retro Cartoons' scheduling structure was similar to Cartoon Network's when it launched. The network's first programs were mostly classic cartoons coming from the 1940's to 1970's, as well as the early 1980's. 2001-2009: Broadening the focus ''Coming soon! 2010-2015: Decline Despite some early success in the 2000s, the network struggled to shift its focus from the 3-7 to the broader 3-15 range, in its attempt to attract a broader older audience. Still, the move did not seem to help the network. The period from 2010 to 2013 produced only four new viable series, Adventure Time, Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Steven Universe, all of which came from Cartoon Network (and would later move to successor Cartoon Antenna), and even still their ratings paled in comparison to the ratings peaks of The Powerpuff Girls, which ended its run on Cartoon Network in March 2005 (and would later be rebooted in April 2016). Ratings dropped for many of Retro Cartoons' shows, while also removing shows with steady ratings such as Ben 10 ''from the lineup; the network failed to air new shows to take their places. Although Retro Cartoons' well-known inability to air successful series was nothing new (''Teen Titans ''being the sole exception), the period saw the network struggling to air new cartoons as well. High-profile failures included ''Robotomy ''(which premiered on Cartoon Network in October 2010 with an impressive 8 share), ''Wedgies, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Sym-Bionic Titan, and Secret Mountain Fort Awesome. During the 2013-14 season, Retro Cartoons finished behind rival Animation Antenna for the first time in five years, and fell even further behind in fall 2014. Both networks fell behind second competitor Boomerang in the overall 4-12 demographic. Between November and December 2013, the network laid off approximately 30 employees amid continued ratings and profit losses (with viewership down 8% by November 2013), with network representatives expecting Retro Cartoons to lose about $20 million during the 2014-15 fiscal year. 2015: Network closure On January 16, 2015, executives from NicThic Productions announced plans to shut down both Animation Antenna and Retro Cartoons and partner to launch a new broadcast television network that would include series from both soon-to-be predecessor networks, known as Cartoon Antenna. Starting on August 19, 2015, Retro Cartoons stopped displaying its on-screen logo bug during the network's programming and replaced it with a countdown of days until Cartoon Antenna's premiere. Retro Cartoons aired its final night of programming on September 18, 2015, with ''The Night of Favorites and Farewells'', an eight-hour block of episodes of the network's past signature series. Commercial breaks featured re-airings of past image campaigns and network promotions, along with promotional spots given to cable networks carrying these shows in off-network syndication and ads for each series' TV-on-DVD box set. The 60-second montage that closed Retro Cartoons' existence featured many well-known stars from the shows that aired during the 17-year run of the network, ending with the statement, "For 17 years, you brought us into your homes. We made you smile and laugh and tugged at your heart. And now, we say goodbye. From all of us at Retro Cartoons, thank you." The final image seen in the montage was the network's mascot, Top Cat, who is shown taking his hat off and bowing, thanking the audience for watching the network for 17 years and marking the end of Retro Cartoons. The final night of RC programming netted relatively low ratings. The network scored a 1.2 household rating and a share of 3, meaning just 3% of viewers were tuned into RC on its final night of programming. After its closure, the network's URL was redirected to Cartoon Antenna's website, cartoonantenna.com. Programming See ''List of programs broadcast by Retro Cartoons'' Category:Channels Category:NicThic Wiki